


It was a Dark and Stormy Night...

by nakedrednailpolish



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Sharing a Bed, Swan Queen Week 2015
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-12
Updated: 2015-07-12
Packaged: 2018-04-09 00:28:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4326918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nakedrednailpolish/pseuds/nakedrednailpolish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After becoming the Dark One, Emma Swan moves to an apartment about an hour away from Storybrooke, where she is content to live alone if it means her family is safe from her. One day, Regina shows up with a bag of grilled cheese on her doorstep, and Emma offers her shelter from the storm...<br/>Written for Swan Queen Week 5, Day 1: Bed-sharing</p>
            </blockquote>





	It was a Dark and Stormy Night...

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

The sound of the microwave shook the Dark One from her thoughts. She pushed herself away from the counter she’d been leaning against and pulled the door open.

 _How about that?_ she thought. _The mighty Dark One eating a bowl of ramen noodles._ She removed the food from the microwave and stirred it with a spoon. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and Emma was glad she wasn’t out tonight. Just as she was about to take a bite, a knock sounded at the door.

Confused, Emma set down her food and crossed the room to examine her visitor through the peephole of the apartment door. Outside waited an attractive brunette woman clutching a brown paper bag in one hand and an expensive leather purse in the other. Her features were distorted by the peephole glass but Emma knew exactly who it was.

She pulled open the door and the visitor smiled at once.

“Regina.”

The brunette shifted from one foot to the other. “Hi.”

Emma narrowed her eyes. It had been weeks, possibly months, since she had seen the woman last. “What are you doing here?”

Regina shifted her gaze to the paper bag in her hands and held it out to Emma. “I brought you some grilled cheese. From Granny’s. I know you must miss it.”

The blonde stared at the bag, eyes still narrowed. She knew that whatever made Regina drive an hour outside of Storybrooke had nothing to do with Emma’s affinity for grilled cheese, but given her current dinner situation, she wasn’t about to pass up such ambrosia.

Emma took the bag and stepped aside so Regina could enter

“Thanks.”

“No problem.”

The blonde closed the door and rushed to clear the mountain of papers and books from the dining table. The sky growled at them from outside.

“Sorry the place is a mess. I don’t get a lot of visitors.” As she moved her laptop from the table to the counter, she watched a look of hurt pass over Regina’s face.

“Hey. I didn’t mean that.”

“Of course you didn’t.” Regina turned to hang her black coat beside Emma’s red leather jacket. “Shoes on or off?”

Emma crossed to the kitchen to open the refrigerator and answered, “Doesn’t matter. Whatever you want is fine. What do you want to drink?

“Whatever you would prefer.”

The blonde sighed and grabbed two bottles of root beer before returning to the table. She noticed Regina had neither taken her shoes off nor moved from the threshold.

“Hey. I’m serious. I didn’t mean anything by that comment. I don’t mind living alone. I did it in Boston and I can do it now.”

Regina ran a hand through her brown locks, which had grown longer since the last time the two had seen each other. She didn’t want Emma to move away from Storybrooke, but the blonde had insisted that it was the best way to keep everyone safe.

“Geez, Regina. You don’t need to walk on pins and needles around me.”

Still saying nothing, Regina dipped her head down to look at her feet.

More gently, Emma added, “You can leave your shoes on the rug if you want. Come eat with me. I can’t do any of my spooky Dark One magic out here so you’re probably safe.”

The corner of Regina’s mouth lifted in a half-smile as she slipped out of her boots, moved across the room, and sat down beside Emma at the table. She put her purse on the floor and scooted her chair in as Emma popped open the root beer bottles and grabbed some paper towels from the kitchen counter. Regina pulled out the sandwiches and set them at their respective seats.

“Wow, they’re still warm,” Emma commented as she bit into hers.

“Good. I’m glad they are.” Regina gently unwrapped her sandwich and took a sip of her root beer.

“How’s Henry?” Emma asked.

“He’s okay. Hit a growth spurt a few weeks ago. He’s taller than me now.”

“Not taller than me though, right?”

Regina chuckled, the sound warm against Emma’s ears. “I’m not sure. If he hasn’t beaten you by now, he will soon.”

Emma smirked, wondering if _taller than me_ meant with her heels on or off.

“He misses you, you know.”

“I know.”

The brunette took a bite of her sandwich, chewed, and swallowed before she added, “If you want to see him more, I could bring him –”

“No,” Emma cut in. Regina cocked her head slightly to the side. “I mean… yeah, I wish I could see him, but I don’t want you to worry about driving him all the way out here.”

“I don’t mind. Really. It’s not that long of a drive.”

“Regina, there’s a reason I moved seventy miles away from Storybrooke. It’s better for everyone if I just stay out here, away from magic and the people I could potentially hurt with it.”

Regina wiped her hands on her paper towel and set them in her lap before speaking.

“Better for everyone, or better for you?”

At that moment, a clap of thunder vibrated through their bones.

“What?”

“I _said_ : it’s better for everyone, or better for you?”

Emma blinked a few times. “Better for everyone. _Including me_. Didn’t you understand that?”

“I understand. I don’t think you do.”

"What’s that supposed to mean?”

Another shot of thunder rumbled through the building and raindrops began to pelt the windowpane, the sill, and even a bit of the floor. Emma got up to shut the window and struggled to get it down. Regina stood and joined her, and together the two were able to slide the pane down into its spot.

“Thanks,” Emma breathed, wiping her hands on the seat of her pants.

“No problem,” Regina replied. The women returned to the table. Regina stared at her hands for a moment before continuing. “I’m just saying that maybe you’re hurting more people by leaving than you would have by staying.”

Emma opened her mouth to reply, but realized she didn’t know what to say. She sighed.

“Your… pirate… hasn’t stopped drinking. He just sits in the Rabbit Hole until the bartender kicks him out. Your father overworks himself at the station, and he won’t hire anyone else to help him because he insists you’re coming home soon. Your mother hasn’t eaten a real meal since you’ve left.”

“Why do you care about what my mom eats?”

“I don’t. I just… Henry… talks about her a lot. He’s worried about her. But not nearly as much as he’s worried about you.”

Rain pounded on the walls as her words set in.

“They all miss you.” She swallowed back the words  _I miss you_ before they slipped out.

Emma nursed the bottle in her hands, avoiding eye contact with the brunette. “We talked about this,” she murmured to her lap. “I can’t go back. Not until we figure out how to lift the curse.”

They were quiet as they thought back, remembering every failed attempt to find Merlin or break the curse. She and Hook had tried True Love’s Kiss, pressing their lips together again and again until desperate kisses became hopeless tears. Not that it would solve their problem; once released, the darkness would just go after someone else.

“It would be a lot nicer if you came back. We wouldn’t have to brainstorm over phone calls. You _would_ be able to hug Henry goodnight instead of text him.”

Emma shook her head. “I tethered myself to the darkness so that you could get your happy ending. You have Henry all to yourself, and your sister’s locked up on rape charges, and you’re back together with Robin. You should be ecstatic.”

 _But I’m not, without you_ , Regina wanted to say. She bit her tongue to keep the comment back.

Emma stood up to collect their trash and threw it into the overflowing garbage can in the kitchen. Without turning around, she asked, “Speaking of Robin, how is he?”

Because she was facing the other way, she missed the way Regina shifted uncomfortably in her chair and stared at her hands.

“He’s fine,” she said. “We’re just… taking a break.”

Emma turned back around at the news.

“Oh.”

Regina shrugged, trying to be nonchalant but her shoulders ended up being heavier than she thought they were.

“Do you want to talk about it?” she sat back down and put her hand on the table, close enough to grab Regina’s, but too far to do it by accident.

“Nothing to talk about. We just… needed some space.” She decided not to mention the screaming match they’d had; Robin yelling _I miss you_ and _I never see you anymore_ and _all you do is spend your time trying to save Emma_ and _what is it, are you in love with her or something_ and Regina on her knees, crying, pleading with him not to go.

And then there was that awful, painful realization later on that maybe… just maybe… he was right.

But it wouldn’t change anything.

“I’m sorry.”

And it wasn’t much and it wasn’t Emma’s sympathy Regina wanted but it was enough.

Another loud burst of thunder struck. “Yes, well, it’s me, remember? Nothing works out for me.” Emma again wanted to grab her hand, but was afraid Regina would pull away.

“Hey.” Regina looked up, baring dark brown into icy green. “Things will work out. Just wait.”

Emma stood up again and opened up the refrigerator. “Do you want alcohol? I have beer and white wine. Or you can have another root beer.”

Regina hadn’t noticed that she’d finished her drink. “Wine, please. Thanks."

The blonde pulled a bottle of wine out of the fridge and got two tumblers out of the overhead cabinet. “We can move to the couch, if you want.”

Nodding, Regina picked up her purse and crossed to the sofa, which was covered in fast food bags and Chinese takeout boxes. Emma came around and brushed some garbage aside to put down the drinks before gathering up as much trash as possible.

“Sorry, I’ll just clean these up.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” Regina sat down on the couch and started pouring their drinks while Emma tidied up. Once she had thrown away a large portion of trash, the blonde sat down beside the brunette and picked up her glass.

“To your happy ending.”

Regina froze, about to clink her glass against Emma’s, and pulled her tumbler toward her chest. “To _my_ happy ending? What about yours?”

Emma moved her glass down slightly. “What _about_ mine?”

“Well, while you’re so intent on helping me find my happy ending, you haven’t once considered your own.”

The blonde shrugged, causing her blonde locks to ripple over her chest and shoulders. “Nothing much to consider. If you and Henry are happy, then I’m happy.”

 _But we’re not_ , Regina wanted to protest. Instead, she plastered on a smile. “Well then, to _our_ happy endings.”

“To our happy endings.” The women clinked their glasses just as a loud bolt of lightning struck, causing all of the lights in the room to flicker once and go out.

“Shit,” Emma whispered. She sipped her drink to complete the toast before getting up to grab some flashlights and candles. Muffled groans and shouts could be heard from throughout the building as the other inhabitants lost their power.

“Do you want me to help?” Regina offered after she’d downed her own sip.

“Nah, this’ll only take a sec.” Within a few moments, Emma returned with several golden candles and a flashlight.

“Hey, are those from –”

“Miner’s Day, yeah.” Emma began to light the candles with a match as Regina tucked her ankles beneath her on the couch. After all of the candles were lit, Emma returned to the sofa and sipped her wine again.

“Belle has a new lead,” Regina informed.

“Yeah?” Emma traced a finger along the rim of her glass, seeming more disinterested than hopeful. Belle had been coming up with a lot of “leads” lately but none of them had gotten very far. Together in the candlelit apartment, the two women discussed leads and theories about how to find Merlin and lift the curse and for a while, it felt like normal, as if they were pulling another late night on their search for the Author. Emma was beginning to refill their glasses for the second time but Regina interrupted her.

“I’m going to have to drive home at some point. No more for me.”

Emma glanced out at the storm, watching the rain pelt the window with the same intensity as it had hours ago, listening to the wind howl, and jumping at the next clap of thunder.

“It’s still pretty bad out there. Are you sure you want to drive home in _that_?”

“I suppose I must, if I want to get home in time to put Henry to bed.”

Emma set down the bottle and picked up her glass. “I mean, you’re welcome to stay, if you want. Henry’s, what, fourteen now? He’s old enough to stay at home for one night by himself.”

“I’m not sure,” Regina replied, staring into her own glass. “C’mon, the kid hung out with Peter Pan’s Lost Boys. He’ll be fine.”

Regina sighed, not quite up to the argument, especially since Emma was right; Henry was fully capable of spending a night at the mansion by himself. “Fine. Where am I to sleep?”

“Well, you can sleep in my bed and I’ll take the couch.”

Regina set her glass on the coffee table. “You’re not sleeping on the couch.”

“Well I’m not letting _you_ sleep on the couch.”

“Why not? It’s your bed.”

“You’re my guest.”

“You’re sleeping in the bed.”

“ _You’re_ sleeping in the bed.”

“Fine.”

“Fine what?”

“Fine, we’ll both sleep in the bed tonight. I trust there’s room for two?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Yes, it’s a double. Whatever. Works for me.”

“Well then, glad that’s settled. Another glass, please, Miss Swan.”

The blonde smirked as she filled up both glasses for another round. Regina pulled out her phone to inform Henry that she’d be staying with Emma for the night. Then, after both women had had a sip of wine, Emma grew serious.

“So, why’d you really come here tonight, Regina?” The brunette balked. “What?”

“Oh, come on. You think I believe that grilled cheese bullshit? Superpower, remember? I can always tell when you’re lying.”

Regina stared at Emma. She knew Emma could easily see through the lie; she just thought she’d be able to stall for a little while longer. She reached down to retrieve her purse from the floor and put it in her lap. “I,” she started. “I… wanted to talk about…”

When Emma saw the hilt of the dagger, she jumped off the couch and backed away.

“Oh no. No. We are _not_ talking about this again. I’ll argue about beds and whether or not I’ll come home but this is something that is not up for debate.”

“Please, Emma,” Regina said as she pulled the dagger out the rest of the way. The letters engraved in the weapon reflected eerily in the candlelight.

“No. No! If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that I do not trust myself with that dagger. We do not need another power-hungry Rumpelstiltskin running around town, and that is _exactly_ what we’ll get if I have that dagger.” ]

“I don’t want it, Emma,” Regina countered. “I don’t trust myself with it. Why would you trust me with it?”

A crackle of thunder reverberated through the room.

“I trust you with it because I trust you, Regina.”

“But _why_? After everything I’ve done, after everything we’ve gone through, I should be the _last_ person you’d want to give it to.”

Emma sat back on the couch so that their knees were touching. “Because you know magic. Because you know how tempting the darkness is, and how powerful the Dark One is. Because I know you won’t let me make the same mistakes…” She trailed off, realizing all too late what she’d said.

“The same mistakes I made?” Emma cringed as Regina finished her sentence for her.

“That’s not what I meant,” she tried. Regina held up a hand.

“No, you’re right. I’ve done some terrible things and I’m not going to let you become like I once was. But you’ve picked the wrong person for this job.”

Emma took her free hand. It was warm, and Emma relished in the first physical human contact she had had in weeks. Regina looked down at their hands, not unhappy with the touch. The blonde ran her thumb over the back of the brunette’s hand, and Regina felt her stomach leap.

“I trust you to do this for me. Nobody’s going to mess with you because they know they can’t beat you, and I know that you’ll protect it for me.”

“I do protect it. I carry it with me wherever I go. It’s just… it’s a constant reminder that this…” she indicated Emma, “…is my fault.”

“How is it your fault?”

“The darkness was coming for me. You sacrificed yourself for me. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be the Dark One.”

“Regina, this isn’t your fault.” A clap of thunder sounded, and Regina pulled her hand from Emma’s grasp. “This is Merlin’s fault. And we’re going to find him and make him lift the curse. In the meantime, I want you to have this. It keeps my power in check and I would never forgive myself if I hurt someone because I let the darkness take over. I don’t trust anyone with it but you.” Gently, Emma nudged the dagger towards Regina. “Please. Just keep for a little while longer.”

The women looked down at the weapon, eying the black letters engraved into the metal.

“It can be like a promise – a promise to keep searching for a solution, to find Merlin and get rid of the curse. Something that promises we’re in this together.”

Regina kept her eyes on the dagger for another moment, contemplating Emma’s words. Then she slipped it back into her bag, which she put back on the floor.

“Fine,” she said. “A promise. We’re going to beat this.”

Emma breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

For the rest of the evening, the women drank wine and talked about Henry, the town, and leads on breaking the curse. At half past eleven, Emma stood, stretched, and said, “Well, I’m ready for bed. I think I have some stuff for you to sleep in, if you want it.”

Regina set her glass on the coffee table and stood. “That would be great, thank you.” Picking up her bag, she followed Emma to the next room, where she watched the blonde rummage through some cardboard boxes at the foot of her bed.

“Here,” she said, extracting a T-shirt and shorts. “Bathroom’s just through there.”

Following Emma’s pointed finger, Regina walked into the bathroom and closed the door. The bathroom was well-broken-in, if not signified by the toothpaste stains in the sink, then by the wet blonde hairs stuck in the shower drain. Regina sniffed the shirt in her hands; it smelled like laundry detergent, but the smell of Emma was undoubtedly stronger. Smiling, Regina quickly changed into the designated pajamas, folding the dress she’d been wearing and laying her bra on top. She wiped the makeup from her face and used some of Emma’s dental floss to clean her teeth.

She opened the door to reenter the bedroom but froze when she saw Emma, who was wearing red shorts but no top. Her light pink nipples were hardened from the cold air, and her tits flopped slightly as she crossed the room in search of a clean shirt.

“Oh, shit,” muttered Emma, realizing the brunette had come in. Covering up her breasts with one arm, she used the other to dig through a pile of clothes. Regina turned towards the door to give her some privacy, even though she’d already seen everything. Finally locating a clean tank top, Emma faced away from Regina and pulled the shirt on. “Sorry,” she said.

“No, I'm sorry,” Regina replied, turning back around. "I walked in on you." Emma’s hardened nipples stood out against the fabric of her tank top, but Regina didn’t say anything about them. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”

Emma had started clearing the bed of books and papers, but froze when she heard the comment.

“You mean you’ve seen my boobs before?” She narrowed her eyes and turned to glare at Regina.

“No! No, not _your_ … breasts.”

“But someone else’s,” Emma accused, resuming her task of preparing the bed.

Regina paused, placing her purse on the floor near one side of the bed. “No one of importance.” She set her bra next to her purse and held up the dress. “Can I hang this up somewhere?”

Continuing to clean the bed, Emma indicated the closet and watched the brunette cross the room. Without her usual pantsuits and high-end fashion, Regina looked out of place in Emma’s old blue T-shirt and black pajama shorts. Facing the closet allowed her to display her backside for Emma, which the shorts hugged nicely. Slender legs bent at the knee and bare feet stood on tiptoes as she reached for a hanger and hung up her dress. When she turned back around, Emma looked away, finishing with the bed and crossing the room to turn out the light.

Now in the dark, Regina watched the woman return to the bed and slide under the covers, moonlight from the window illuminating her skin. Pulling the dagger out from her purse, the brunette climbed into the bed on the other side.

“No, not that thing again,” Emma started.

Regina put up her free hand. “Relax. I told you; I keep it with me all the time. That includes when I sleep. Even out here, I’m not taking any chances.” Emma stared at the dagger as it glinted and disappeared beneath Regina’s pillow.

“Okay,” she said, rolling onto her side so her back was to Regina.

The brunette turned away, too, and slipped her hand beneath her head to grip cool metal.

“Goodnight, Emma.”

“Night, Regina.”

*

A slight whimpering brought Regina awake a few hours later.

She blinked her eyes, confused, and sat up, realizing the sounds were coming from the sleeping form beside her.

“Emma,” she said, lifting a hand to shake the woman’s shoulder. Through the darkness, she could make out Emma’s lips as they quivered and cried out again.

“Emma,” she repeated, more forcefully. “Emma, wake up.”

Emma gasped as her eyes snapped open. After a few heavy breaths, she sat up. Concerned, Regina studied Emma’s jaw as it clenched and watched the moonlight reflect off of unshed tears.

“Hey, it’s just a dream.”

The blonde swallowed and parted her lips to take in a few shaky breaths. “Sorry,” she whispered, staring at the opposite wall.

“It’s quite alright. Do you want to talk about it?”

Emma swallowed again and sniffed. “I only used to get nightmares every now and then – you know, the normal kind, where a monster is chasing me or I’m naked in public or the foster kids are beating me up – but ever since…” Her body shook as she remembered that moment on the street, when she was swallowed by the darkness that would have taken Regina. She took another breath, “... I’ve been having nightmares every single night. And it’s the same one, too.”

Regina gently began rubbing Emma’s back. “What… what happens?”

Glancing down at her hands, Emma blinked back the tears in her eyes.

“I’m… in the middle of nothing. Literally, nothing. It’s all dark; I can’t see a thing. I wander around for a while, looking for someone – anyone – anything.” She swallowed. “And then the fire starts. This… black fire… comes out of nowhere, and I can’t run, I can’t get help, I can’t put it out. All I can do is scream.”

“That sounds awful.”

“It is. It’s terrifying. I –” She stopped, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “I’m fine. Sorry I woke you.” She turned away, breaking the contact between her and Regina, and slid back under the covers.

“It’s okay. I really don’t mind.” Regina lay back down, too, but facing Emma instead of the wall. “You really have nightmares every night?”

“Yep.”

Regina lifted the blanket a little. “Come here.”

Emma shot a confused glance over her shoulder, prompting Regina to shift closer to her. When she was close enough, she draped an arm over Emma’s stomach.

The blonde didn’t flinch or turn away. Instead, she put her hand on top of Regina’s and laced their fingers together. She snuggled closer to the other woman, her back pressed against Regina’s front.

“I don’t mind living by myself,” she started. “I did it for most of my adult life. But what I miss most, besides you guys, of course,” Emma slid their hands across her stomach, tangled their legs together, and moved her body closer yet, so their skin rubbed against fabric, and so skin rubbed against skin, “is the contact. Maybe it sounds weird but I miss the touching. The high fives. The kisses. Even all of Mary Margaret’s hugs.” She wiggled again, to remind her body that it was being touched, to really feel the way Regina’s boobs pressed into her back, the way Regina’s arms were holding her, the way Regina’s fingers grazed her stomach through the fabric of her tank top.

“I get that,” Regina said softly, running a toe along Emma’s calf. “Lord knows I get that.” Living alone as the mayor for the 18 years before Henry’s birth was hard. Graham had been able to warm her bed, but it had never seemed like enough. The way they were cuddling now was warm. And because neither of them was under a curse, it was real. And somehow, that made it seem like enough.

Regina’s breath tickled the back of Emma’s neck, and with each moment, the blonde felt her nightmare fading away.

“Don’t let go,” she whispered, squeezing Regina’s hand tighter.

Regina pulled Emma closer, placing a soft kiss in the crook of her neck.

“I won’t. That’s a promise.”


End file.
